Hair flat iron having detachable plates

ABSTRACT

A hair flat iron, including a base member to provide electric power to the hair flat iron, and a heating plate assembly detachably connected to the base member.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 USC §120 from U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/361,045, filed on Jul. 12, 2016, in the United Stated Patent and Trademark Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present general inventive concept relates generally to hair styling devices and, more particularly, to a hair flat iron having a plurality of detachable plates that allow for the use of varying sizes.

2. Description of the Related Art

The use of hair irons, such as curling irons, straightening (or “flat”) irons, and crimping irons, to change the structure of one's hair for styling using heat is well established. A problem which still exists, however, is that because many of such irons have heated styling elements which are fixed, the irons are difficult to store and transport when not in use. Thus, there remains a need for a hair flat iron having detachable heating plates which would help enable compact storage and transport. It would be helpful if such a hair flat iron having detachable heating plates included both an onboard power source and a detachable cord to allow it to be plugged up. It would be additionally desirable for such a hair flat iron having detachable heating plates to include handle elements on the heating plates to allow for safe manual manipulation of the plates when in use.

The present general inventive concept described herein provides for a hair flat iron having detachable heating plates adapted to allow a user to selectively attach and separate a base and heating plates depending on whether the device was in use or not. The primary components in Applicant's hair flat iron having detachable heating plates are a base member and a detachable heating plate assembly. When in operation, the hair flat iron having detachable heating plates enables more effective and efficient storage and transport. As a result, many of the limitations imposed by prior art structures are removed.

SUMMARY

The present general inventive concept provides a hair flat iron having a plurality of detachable plates of varying sizes.

Additional features and utilities of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept.

The foregoing and/or other features and utilities of the present general inventive concept may be achieved by providing a hair flat iron, including a base member to provide electric power to the hair flat iron, and a heating plate assembly detachably connected to the base member.

The heating plate assembly may include a pair of opposing heating plates to emit heat therefrom.

The hair flat iron may further include another heating plate assembly comprising another pair of opposing heating plates having a size different from the pair of opposing heating plates of the heating plate assembly to detachably connect to the base member based on a user's preference.

The hair flat iron may further include at least one handle element disposed on the pair of opposing heating played to allow a user to hold the heating plate assembly without being burned.

The hair flat iron may further include a pair of spring loaded securing tabs disposed at a base portion of the heating plate assembly to engage with a pair of corresponding notches inside a top opening of the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded front elevational view of a hair flat iron having detachable heating plates built in accordance with the present general inventive concept.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings and in particular FIG. 1, a hair flat iron having detachable heating plates 10 is illustrated having a base member 11 and a detachable heating plate assembly 20. The base member 11 defines in one embodiment a cylindrical housing 12 that provides a handle portion of the hair flat iron having detachable heating plates 10. The housing 12 includes having a top opening 13, a rotary temperature setting dial 14, a detachable battery 15, and release buttons 16. The top opening 13 is a basin shaped depression in a top surface of the housing 12 that is sized to receive the detachable heating plate assembly 20. At the base of the depression is a base electrical connector that corresponds to a corresponding an assembly electrical connector 21 on the detachable heating plate assembly 20 so as to allow electricity to flow from the base member 11 to the detachable heating plate assembly 20.

The rotary temperature setting dial 14 is operative to control the flow of electricity from the base member 11 so as to control the heat generated the detachable heating plate assembly 20. The detachable battery 15 provides an onboard rechargeable electrical power source. The release buttons 16 provide a mechanical operator which, when manually depressed with the detachable heating plate assembly 20 attached to the base member 11, forces the detachable heating plate assembly 20 in a detaching direction 17.

In one embodiment, the base member 11 additionally includes a detachable electrical cord 18 to allow it to be connected to a conventional electrical outlet (not shown).

In addition to the assembly electrical connector 21, the detachable heating plate assembly 20 also includes a pair of opposing heating plates 22 which provide heating elements, a plurality of handle elements 23, and a pair of spring loaded securing tabs 24. The handle elements 23 are constructed of a material having a low thermal conductivity, such as rubber, so as to allow each of the opposing heating plates 22 to be manually manipulated without harming the user. The spring loaded securing tabs 24 are operative to engage a pair of corresponding notches inside the top opening 13 when the detachable heating plate assembly 20 is in place in the top opening 13 so as to assist in securely hold the detachable heating plate assembly 20 in the base member 11.

It is contemplated that in addition to allowing for the flow of electricity from the base member 11 to the detachable heating plate assembly 20, the assembly electrical connector 21 and base electrical connector also act to hold the detachable heating plate assembly 20 in the base member 11. Thus, the detachable heating plate assembly 20 and base member 11, when attached, are generally only able to be separated by depressing the release buttons 16, which cause the securing tabs 24 to be disengaged from the notches and lifts the separates the assembly electrical connector 21 and base electrical connector simultaneously.

Although a few embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A hair flat iron, comprising: a base member to provide electric power to the hair flat iron; and a heating plate assembly detachably connected to the base member.
 2. The hair flat iron of claim 1, wherein the heating plate assembly comprises: a pair of opposing heating plates to emit heat therefrom.
 3. The hair flat iron of claim 2, further comprising: another heating plate assembly comprising another pair of opposing heating plates having a size different from the pair of opposing heating plates of the heating plate assembly to detachably connect to the base member based on a user's preference.
 4. The hair flat iron of claim 2, further comprising: at least one handle element disposed on the pair of opposing heating played to allow a user to hold the heating plate assembly without being burned.
 5. The hair flat iron of claim 2, further comprising: a pair of spring loaded securing tabs disposed at a base portion of the heating plate assembly to engage with a pair of corresponding notches inside a top opening of the base. 